Hydraulic break fuse



Nov. 3, 1953 R. STEVENSON 2,657,706

HYDRAULIC BREAK FUSE Filed May 12, 1951 1 FIG. I

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" 53 me RoB gRT STEVENSON ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 3, 1953 HYDRAULIC BREAK FUSE Robert L. Stevenson, Barrington, R. I., assignor to Anco, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 12, 1951, Serial No. 226,023

'3 Claims.

This invention relates to hydraulic break fuses and more particularly to a fuse in a fluid pressure system, which will hold back the fluid between the point where a rupture takes place in the system and the source of pressure or fluid supply in that system.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a fuse in a fluid pressure system which will prevent the fluid in the entire system from escaping through a leak or break; thereby rendering the entire system inoperative.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a positive operating, foolproof, simple and inexpensive fuse for a hydraulic pressure system.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fuse, in the various branch lines leading from a central reservoir and pressure point, which will render the system operative in spite of a leak or break in one or more of the branch lines.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a fuse of novel construction, which is automatic in operation and which requires no attention when in service.

In the past hydraulic break fuses were either too expensive to be commercially successful, or they were not woolproof in operation. It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome these deficiencies.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in part and be pointed out in part in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. However, I do not limit myself to the exact showing because changes can be made without departing either from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.

Figure l is a side elevational view of the new and improved hydraulic break fuse.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of said break fuse.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the mechanism.

Figure 4 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the various parts when the pressure drops on the outlet side of the fuse.

Figure 5 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 2, showing the position of the various parts when there is no pressure on the outlet side of the fuse.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the application of the invention to a four wheel hydraulic brake system,-

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 wherein is shown the novel construction of the present invention, reference character II indicates the main housing hexagonal in shape on its outside diameter and provided with an external pipe thread I2 on its reduced or connecting portion I3 which has a bore or passageway I4 centrally therethrough terminating in a ball valve seat I5. The main housing I I at the other end thereof has an internally threaded portion I6 terminating in a thread relief ring I1 adjacent a counterbored area It connected by means of a reduced area 20 to passageway I4.

An auxiliary body 2| hexagonal in shape on its widest diameter is provided with an external thread 22 on its reduced or nipple area 23. On the end opposite the external thread 22 a relief ring 24 is provided adjacent the hexagon. An external thread 25 adapted to engage threads I6 is next provided. A shank 25 which is a continuation of threaded portion 25 is provided with a recessed annular ring 21 which houses packing 28. Shank 26 terminates in reduced area 30 adapted to house spring collar 3 I.

Auxiliary body 2| is provided with an internal core consisting of passageway 32 which terminates in spring 36 housing passageway 33 which is bell mouthed at 34 to cooperate with spring ring 3| and ball 35.

Spring ring 3| is provided with three leg 40, 4| and 42. Each leg is designed to have a stop prong designated at 43, 44 and 45.

In operation hydraulic break fuse I0 is set in any conventional hydraulic pressure system. In Figure 6, by way of illustration, is shown an automobile chassis 59 provided with four wheels 5|, 52, 53 and 55 each wheel of which is hydraulicly braked. The main pressure cylinder 55, provided with brake pedal 55, has two main lines 51 and 58 leading to the rear and front wheels respectively. In each main line 5! and 58 is inserted a hydraulic break fuse III. The main line 51 divides out into branches BI] and 6| to the rear right and rear left brake drum respectively. Similarly, main line 58 divides out in branches 52 and 63 leading to the front right and front left brake drum respectively.

In normal operation, the respective parts of the hydraulic break fuse III will be in the positions shown in Figure 2. Passageway 32 will be in connection with the line leading from the main pressure cylinder 55. Inasmuch as the cylinder 55 and the lines 51 and 58 are filled with brake fluid; ball 35 remains in a static position. Legs 40. 4| and 42 exert a slight pressure of about five pounds on ball 35, to assist in holding said ball in place due to the changing pressure in lines 51 and 58. Spring 36 is also a stabilizing influence on ball 35. In accordance with the well known principle of physics, ball 35 will remain in a static condition as long as the pressure in passageways H's and 32 remain the same. Just as soon, however, as the pressure in passageway M or in its connecting lines drops more than the amount of holding pressure spring 36 exerts on ball 35, then (see Figure 4) spring ring legs 43, 4! and 42 will yield until prongs 43, 44 and 45 rest against the base wall of reduced area 29. Should the pressure drop further, ball 35 will snap out of the grip of spring legs 40, 4| and 42 under the influence of spring 36 and pressure from the cylinder and block passageway i4. Spring 36 and the pressure from main pressure cylinder 55 will hold ball 35 in place. Spring 36 will continue to hold ball 35 in valve seat 15 should the pressure from the main pressure cylinder drop to zero. After the leak or break which caused the pressure in passageway [4 to drop, is repaired, ball 35 will be reset in spring ring legs 23, 4! and 42. This is done by separating auxiliary body 2| from main housing II and reseating the ball by hand.

Having described one adaptation of many in which the hydraulic break fuse finds application, what I claim is:

l. A hydraulic break fuse consisting of a main body portion adapted to be connected to a fluid system by a reduced end portion, a passageway located in said reduced end portion, a thread area in said main body portion in the end opposite the reduced end portion, a thread relief ring at the base terminus of said thread area, a counter-bored area adjacent the thread relief ring terminating in a reduced area adjacent said passageway, an auxiliary body having threads adapted to engage with said main body portion threaded area, a thread relief ring at the base of said threads, a shank adjacent said threads engaging said main body portion, said shank having a reduced end, a recessed annular ring in said shank adapted to receive a packing, engaging said counterbored area, a reduced area on the outboard end of said auxiliary body adapted to be connected to the pressure line of said fluid system, a passageway in said reduced area terminating in a spring housing passageway counterbored on one end, a spring ring provided with legs having prongs projecting therefrom, a ball seat formed in the ends of said legs, a ball, seated in said ball seat, said spring ring adapted to engage said shank and a spring in said spring housing passageway adapted to engage said ball.

2. A hydraulic break fuse consisting of a main body, hexagonal in shape on its greatest outside diameter, having a threaded portion in its reduced outside diameter, a passageway located in said reduced diameter connecting into a larger chamber adapted to receive an auxiliary body, hexagonal in shape on its greatest outside diameter, a reduced threaded portion adjacent said greatest outside diameter, a passageway located in said reduced threaded portion connecting into a larger passageway adapted to house a spring,

said larger passageway terminating in a counterbored area, a spring ring provided with legs having a prong on each leg and a ball seat in each leg, a ball valve adapted to fit in the ball seat formed by the legs and held in seated position by said spring in said counterbored area and a relief area on one end of said auxiliary body adapted to accommodate the main body portion of said spring ring at the juncture of the passageway and larger chamber in said main body,

3. A hydraulic break fuse consisting of a main body portion, hexagonally shaped on its largest diameter, adapted to be connected to the outlet side of a hydraulic pressure system by a threaded reduced end portion adjacent said largest diameter, a passageway in said reduced end portion, a valve seat in the inboard side of said passageway, a thread area in said main body portion in the end opposite the reduced end portion, a thread relief ring at the base terminus of said thread area, a counterbored area adjacent the thread relief ring terminating in a reduced area adjacent said valve seat in said passageway an auxiliary body having threads adapted to engage with said main body portion threaded area, an hexagonal shoulder adjacent said threaded area terminating in a threaded reduced end portion, adapted to be connected to the inlet side of a hydraulic pressure system, a thread relief ring at the base of said threads adapted to engage said main body portion threaded area, and said hexagonal shoulder, a shank adjacent said threads engaging said threads in said main body portion, said shank having a reduced end, a recessed annular ring in said shank adapted to house a fluid tight packing, engaging said counterbored area in said main body portion, a passageway in said threaded reduced end portion terminating in a spring housing passageway counterbored on one end, a spring ring provided with legs having prongs projecting therefrom, a ball seat formed in the ends of said legs, a ball, seated in said ball seat, said spring ring adapted to be held on the reduced end of said shank abutting the juncture of said counterbored area and said reduced area in said main body portion, the prongs of said spring ring engageable with said reduced area in the flexed position of said spring ring and the ball held in the counterbore of said spring housing passageway in the unflexed position of said spring ring and a spring in said spring housing passageway adapted to engage said ball in its seat in said spring ring and in its seat in said valve seat in the inboard side of said main body portion passageway.

ROBERT L. STEVENSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,093,015 Madden Sept. 15, 1937 2,127,849 Stone Aug. 23, 1938 2,130,799 Hofstetter Sept. 20, 1938 2,151,940 Ramsey Mar. 28, 1939 2,353,191 Samiran July 11, 1944 

